Scotland has bid farewell to Elizabeth II with a solemn procession from Holyroodhouse to St. Giles Cathedral. King Charles III and his siblings Princess Anne and Princes Andrew and Edward made the walk along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.
In the temple of the Scottish city, Queen consort Camilla, Sophie Wessex and Timothy Laurence presided over a religious service in honor of the sovereign. In this solemn act, an important jewel with a lot of history that has belonged for a long time in royal family has been placed on the coffin of the Queen.
The Scottish crown on the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II
Accompanied by a beautiful floral arrangement composed of white roses, freesias, chrysanthemums, rosemary and white Balmoral heather, the crown of Scotland has been placed, a unique piece of 500 years of history that King James IV had made in 1503. The jewel, the oldest in the United Kingdom and Europe, is made of Scottish gold in which 22 gems and 20 precious stones are set. The outline is decorated with delicate freshwater pearls from the country’s rivers. Like the Crowns of St. Edward and the Imperial State, it features four gold arches with red enameled oak leaves culminating in a central orb holding a black and gold cross.
It should be noted that it was King James IV who commissioned it, but its current appearance is due to the changes requested by his successor, James V, in 1540. Edinburgh Castle is the home where this half-century-old piece is kept. Undoubtedly, it is one of the honors of Scotland, along with the scepter and the sword of the State.